An unbiased SONA critique / 'We must go on'

 I read a sensible critique on the SONA.

It did not come from the opposition or anyone who would not wish the President well. It is a well-measured critique giving both good and bad points. It comes from the JP Morgan bank. I would presume that it has to be very careful in making assessments for their clients and investors.

I’ve excerpted some relevant parts. In sum it said that the state of the nation message “lacked positive push and some highlighted achievements looked misplaced.”

Aquino’s third SONA is not being singled out. “As has been the case for several years, we found the latest state of the nation address to be underwhelming. Too much time was devoted to highlighting a few accomplishments, in our view, while too little was said about the considerable tasks ahead. Fundamentally there are plenty of reasons that support our positive view on the Philippines, but we see the need for improvements in government execution.”

On the other hand, he is praised for his “corruption fight best seen in cutting down wasteful spending... We consider President Aquino’s fight against corruption to be his government’s biggest achievement so far.”

“This has resulted in reduced expenses, which is a big contributor to the improved fiscal position.

“...but revenues are still lacking: The other more crucial side to the fiscal equation - revenues - was not highlighted. We believe a big reason for this is the continued absence of any major tax evaders being punished. We believe that this is an important shortcoming that is blocking an investment grade rating from materializing.

“Some achievements look misplaced: A couple of achievements highlighted in the address appear misplaced to us. One was the issue of reduced criminality, and the other was the issue of improved defense capabilities. We consider the recent military acquisitions, consisting of small warships, transport planes, and helicopters that are all approximately 50 years old, as not worth highlighting, as they only emphasize the deficiencies of the Philippine military equipment.

“Boracay airport needs more than a nice terminal: While it is a positive development to see that airports are being built or upgraded in various locations nationwide as part of the needed infrastructure improvements to support tourism, we think that the prime tourist destination of Boracay needs more than just a nice terminal. While an expanded runway was mentioned, there was no timetable given.

Deadline provided for connector road completion: One mild but laudable surprise to us was the assertion that the connection of the North and South Luzon expressways would be done by 2015. This is a tall order, in our view, even if it is clearly hoped to be a flagship project that will be finished within the current government’s term (ends 2016).”

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Why doesn’t Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes just answer questions about the PCOS that he wants to use again despite its flagrant flaws? Instead of threatening to resign because he would get a lower budget for the May 2013 elections, he should focus on what went wrong in 2010 and make sure these do not happen again.

“If our election budget is not restored, we will be forced to abandon automation and go back to manual. If that happens, I will not be there to preside (over the balloting process),” Brillantes told the House committee on suffrage and electoral reform.

Brillantes said going back to the old cheating-prone manual system of voting was not an option for him and the Comelec. Oh?!? I think he misunderstands what elections are all about and what his duties are as Comelec chairman. He says if we go manual we will be going back to the stone age. Does he know that one of the most tech-savvy countries in the world — Germany — is now looking to return to manual because of the problems of automation. Their priorities are right to recognize that automation is only to facilitate a real election but it is not the be-all and end-all of elections.

Abad insists that the Comelec has enough funds for next year’s balloting. Sounds fishy to me when a Comelec chairman is more insistent on the money than getting the elections right, automated or manual.

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I think my colleague, Ms. Rosalinda Orosa, pretty much covered the Japanese Le Velvets performance at the Atrium in SM Mall of Asia last Sunday. The concert capped the month-long celebration of Philippine-Japan friendship. The jpop concert was a fitting end to a series of events from a film festival, singing contest and art exhibition organized by the Japanese embassy. The best was left for last — the Le Velvet concert. The event fulfilled the Japanese embassy’s wish to bring Japanese culture to as wide an audience as possible. It was held in a very public place and attracted crowds of shoppers and passersby watching from the balconies of the Mall of Asia. It seemed like an impromptu La Scala.

Members of the singing group, Le Velvets are not only handsome young men, they are “graduates of the finest classical academies in Japan equivalent to Juilliard in New York.” I asked Minister Shimizu Shinsuke of the Japanese Embassy why this group was chosen.

He said they knew “there was a sustained latent interest in Japanese pop culture among Filipinos so the Japanese Embassy coordinated with different partners (among them SM, Viva Records and Philippine Airlines to make it possible to bring the world famous group to Manila.”

“I hope Filipinos appreciated their unrivaled quality of professionalism,” adds Shimizu. They got it right. Le Velvets was, as Ms. Orosa said, “an instant hit.”

My favorite songs in their repertory was Queen must go on and Nessum Dorma. Queen must go on is a derivation of The Show Must Go On. In more senses than one it was a good song to send a message to Filipinos and the rest of the world that the Japanese are back in business despite its recent trials. As Le Velvets sang it, “Queen” sounded more like “we” to me. “We must go on” which I thought was very poignant.

Nessum Dorma (None shall sleep) was among the first classical songs to go pop. I was still in London when it was sung in the Italia 1990 World Cup. More than football, it started the movement for classical pop and it was sung in London pubs and streets by cheering fans of teams whether they won or lost. I still cannot listen to Nessum Dorma without relating it to Italia 1990 World Cup. It was the BBC that made it the theme song of the Rome coverage. Opera was brought down to the masses with one song. The best version of the song comes from Pavarotti.